A GROUND-BREAKING road safety scheme looks set to be imported from Australia to the streets of Lancashire.

The county's highways experts are worried about the rising number of accidents. And they are looking at a pioneering project from Victoria State in Australia which has seen the number of road accidents plummet.

The Australian safety drive included tough new laws against drink driving and speeding backed by high profile publicity campaigns.

The initiative also put the spotlight on drivers' behaviour and attitudes and there were campaigns to change drivers' attitudes.

Police, councils the state government and insurance firms all took part in the project.

The British Government has backed a series of road safety projects with the aim of reducing accidents by a third over the last 20 years.

And fatal accidents in Lancashire have fallen by 41 per cent since 1981.

But the overall number of accidents in the county has risen by almost a quarter and the number of serious accidents has fallen by just eight per cent.

Lancashire County Council is planning to take a close look at the Victoria Initiative.

The scheme has already attracted the attention of the Association of Chief Police Officers.

Blackburn MP and Home Secretary Jack Straw has also shown personal interest in the ground breaking project.

The Australian scheme has seen a dramatic fall from a high of 766 deaths each year.

The scheme saw the number of road deaths in Victoria plummet by a dramatic 50 per cent and serious injuries by 36 per cent.

Lancashire County Council is planning a seminar on the scheme for the end of the month.

Council officials and police representatives are expected to take part in the meeting.

The initiative will today be discussed at a highways and transport committee meeting.

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